Udupi sambar | south indian udipi sambhar

If you are a lover of south indian food like me ,I guess you must have tasted idli dosa in udipi resturants in bombay and bangalore.

todays recipe is udupi sambhar which i made last weekend which changed our (both me & husbands)  definition of the word sambar.


Udupi sambhar is an important part of udupi cuisine.

Udupi cuisine (Tulu: ಉಡುಪಿ ವನಸ್, Kannada: ಉಡುಪಿ ಊಟ) is a world-renowned cuisine of South India.It forms an important part of the cuisine of Karnataka and takes its name from Udupi, a town on the southwest coast of India in the state of Karnataka.
 Udupi cuisine has its origin in the Ashta mathas of Udupi founded by Madhvacharya.
Udupi cuisine comprises dishes made primarily from grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits. The variety and range of dishes is wide, and a hallmark of the cuisine involves the use of locally available ingredients.

 Pumpkins and gourds are the main ingredients in sambar, a stew prepared with ground coconut and coconut oil as its base.

The ubiquitous Indian dish masala dosa has its origins in Udupi.Saaru, a spicy pepper water, is another essential part of the menu, and so are jackfruit, colocasia leaves, raw green bananas, mango pickle, red chillies, and salt. Adyes (dumplings), ajadinas (dry curries), and chutneys, including one made of the skin of the ridge gourd, are specialities.


Udupi cuisine adheres strictly to the Satvik tradition of Indian vegetarian cuisine, using no onions or garlic, as well as no meat, fish, or shellfish.ie udupi cuisine is pure vegetaraian
Udupi or Udipi restaurants and hotels serving Udupi cuisine can be found all over India and many parts of the world. In the past, these restaurants were run by cooks and priests trained at Krishna matha at Udupi

Coming back to the sambhar recipe  this is a sweet sour & spicy sambhar made with freshly ground spices & coconut.

i have used regular onions along with drumsticks & other mixed veggies .but u can make this sambar with only small sambhar onions
This sambhar gets its sweetness from  sweetness of jaggery and coconut, tang iness from tamarind and tomatoes, and heat from roasted spices .

serve the udipi sambar with idli, dosa or steamed rice.

You can check out andhra style sambhar recipe here  Ingredients:

Udupi Sambar Powder:1 tbsp Urad Dal
½ tbsp Channa Dal(Split Bengal Gram)
2 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds (whole dhane)
½ tsp Methi/Fenugreek Seeds
4-6 Dry Red Chilli (guntur/ Byadagi, adjust as per  taste)
1 cup Grated fresh/frozen Coconut

Sambar ingredients
2 Brinjal cut into 1 inch cubes
1 carrot cubed
1 okra chopped
1-2  Drum Sticks, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 large Onion, thinly sliced or 10-12 small Sambar Onions(Pearl Onions) peeled
2 large Tomatoes, cubed
2-3 Green Chillies, slit
3/4 cups Toor Dal/arhar dal/ Pigeon Pea,
1 tsp Tamarind Paste
1 tsp Jaggery (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
Small bunch of Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp Oil (Preferably Coconut Oil)
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
Few Curry Leaves
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Dry Red Chilli, halved
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
Few Curry Leaves
1 tbsp Oil, preferably Coconut Oil




Method:

1 pressure cook dal with salt hing and turmeric till soft,mash with a ravi (laddle)

2.dry roast all the ingredients listed (except coconut) under Udupi Sambar Powder for about a minute. Mix in grated Coconut and roast it along with spices  till it turns light golden and aromatic.Cool and grind  roasted spices with coconut to a smooth paste by adding little water at time.

3.Heat 1 tbsp of Coconut Oil in a pan and add sambar/pearl onions, hing and few curry leaves. Sauté it on medium flame for about 2-3 minutes till they turn translucent.



4. now mix vegetables of your choice with cubed tomatoes and just enough water to cook the vegetables. add turmeric powder, jaggery, tamarind paste and salt to taste.



5 Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes till the vegetables are cooked well.

6.Add this ground mixture and mashed toor dal to cooked vegetables and mix well. Adjust the seasoning and add water depending on the required consistency of Sambar.  the sambar should not be too thick or thin. Simmer and bring the whole sambar to gentle boil (takes about 5-7 minutes).

 













7.now prepare tadka .Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, dry red chilli, hing and curry leaves. pour the tempering on Sambar when mustard starts to pop and splutter.

8.Mix in finely chopped coriander leaves . Serve this delicious Udupi Sambar with Idli, Dosas or plain basmati Rice or drink it its very tasty

 

KOLAMBI MASALA MARATHI ALIBAG STYLE |KANDYAVAR PARATLELE KOLAMBI |TAVA STIR FRY SAUTED MALVANI PRAWNS

Todays recipe is of  marathi kolambi masala  i.e  maharashtrian style prawns stir fried sauted prawns  .Kolambi stands for prawns in marathi & kalwan is curry.so the name  kolambi che kalvan.
So coming to today's recipe, this recipe  is a traditional SKP (SOMVANSHIYA KSHATRIYA PATHARE PRABHU -a Maharashtrian community) style  recipe which is mostly made in alibag.
  This recipe has a special masala (spice  powder) which is made only by this skp community in Mumbai and Alibaug. will post recipe of skp masala later.but you  can make it with red chilli powder or malvani masala too
This is my mom & mausis style of prawn masala .I just love this kolambi masala which is an ambat tikhat  .ambat tikhat means spicy & sour prawns curry.





You can check goan style prawn masala by clicking on this link

Best enjoyed with steaming rice ie bhat

 

Ingredients:
 

 prawns- deviened and cleaned 250 gms
 Onions- 2 medium sized, finely chopped
2 green chillies chopped
 Ginger garlic paste - one tbspn
Garlic -3 large cloves smashed
 Chilli Powder/malavani masala /skp masala - 3 teaspoon or according to preferred spice level
 Turmeric Powder- 1/4 teaspoon
 Coriander Powder-1 teaspoon
 Tomato -2 medium sized one, finely chopped
 Oil- 2 Tbspn
 garm masala - 1 tsp
Coconut onion paste/kanda khobra vatan  1tbspn (click here for recipe)
Tamarind pulp/lemon juice - 1tbspn
 Salt – to taste
 Coriander to garnish


Method:
  1.Wash, de-vein and drain the water off the prawns completely and keep aside. apply 1 tsp each of  Ginger garlic paste, Chilli Powder/malavani masala /skp masala ,1/2 tsp turmeric salt & 1tsp tamarind pulp to prawns and keep aside for marination .



2.In a non stick pan, heat the oil and  saute smashed Garlic cloves , green chillies,
chopped onions and  ginger garlic paste till transparent, add salt & tomato and cook till tomatoes become soft .now mash tomatoes with spoon.

3. Further, add the masala- chilli,turmeric and coriander powder & onion coconut paste & stir till flavours are aromatic,. close lid and leave at low flame for 3 minutes

4.. Add the prawns and stir well so that the masala is nicely coated with the prawns.stir in garam masala



5. Allow to cook in its own juices add very little water only if required .

6. When the oil oozes out from the sides and curry becomes semi dry switch off gas,,

7. then add chopped coriander leaves, stir

8. Serve hot with rice or roti.
Tips
1. you can skip Coconut onion paste/kanda khobra vatan in above recipe
2. add water as per consistency you need. normally the consistency is semi dry
3. if you dont have SKP MASALA /MALAVANI MASALA use 3 tsp red chilli powder +1 tsp garam masala

 

How to grow Methi at home | growing fenugreek leaves in balcony

I love gardening .Thats the reason you will find different plants in my balcony .recently I  started out experimenting with growing vegetables.

First one was growing pudina (mint ) at home ,
next  was growing kothmir (coriander) at home
& third was growing methi aka fenugreek leaves at home.

I was delighted to taste tender fresh methi from my own garden very first time which i used to make andhra style methi dal
Growing methi is easy and fun and it hardly takes 2 weeks to grow leaves and ready to use.I used the  plastic containers which we get when we order a home delivery for dal makhani .
You can use a regular kundi or pot/aluminium tray,plastic dabba /plastic container


Information about methi
Fenugreek (/ˈfɛnjʉɡriːk/; Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an annual plant in the family Fabaceae. The plant has small round leaves, is cultivated worldwide as a semi-arid crop, and is a common ingredient in dishes from the Indian Subcontinent. It is known as methi in Marathi (मेथी), Punjabi, Hindi (मेथी), Urdu, Bengali (মেথি) and Nepali (मेथी), as menthiyam, and venthayam (வெந்தயம்) in Tamil, "uluhaal" (උළුහාල්) in Sinhala, Helba حلبة) in Arabic, menthya ಮೆಂಥ್ಯ ) in Kannada, uluwa (ഉലുവ) in Malayalam, and menthulu (మెంతులు) in Telugu.



Fenugreek has three culinary uses: as a herb (dried or fresh leaves), as a spice (seeds), and as a vegetable (fresh leaves, sprouts, and microgreens). Sotolon is the chemical responsible for fenugreek's distinctive sweet smell.

The distinctive cuboid-shaped, yellow-to-amber colored fenugreek seeds are frequently encountered in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. The seeds are used in the preparation of pickles, vegetable dishes, daals, and spice mixes, such as panch phoron and sambar powder. Fenugreek seeds are used both whole and in powdered form and are often roasted to reduce their bitterness and enhance their flavor.

Fenugreek is also used as a vegetable. Fresh fenugreek leaves are an ingredient in some Indian curries. The sprouted seeds and microgreens are used in salads. When harvested as microgreens, fenugreek is known as Samudra Methi in Maharashtra, especially in and around Mumbai, where it is often grown near the sea in the sandy tracts, hence the name (Samudra, which means "ocean" in Sanskrit).Samudra Methi is also grown in dry river beds in the Gangetic plains. When sold as a vegetable in India, the young plants are harvested with their roots still attached. Any remaining soil is washed off to extend their shelf life. They are then sold in small bundles in the markets and bazaars.

Method:

1. Soak  methi seeds in  water for 12  hours or overnight.  .next day drain water & cover the conatiner so that methi will sprout .



2. take the kundi or pot/aluminium tray,plastic dabba /plastic container. Make holes with a hot knife  to all corners of  kundi or pot/aluminium tray,plastic dabba /plastic container .this is done to ensure that you drain excess water.very important step.

3.Fill 3/4th of the pot/aluminium tray,plastic dabba /plastic container with soil.

4 Methi seeds are seeded densely (not in rows). Scatter methi seeds dense in  soil. now cover this with a layer of soil and sprinkle water.


5.within 2 days seeds will start to germinate. moisten soil daily.(sprinkle water on pot do not pour water)


6.In a week your methi will look like this. You can harvest it at this stage





7 If you want big leaves than wait for a month.



Enjoy!!! the fresh methi leaves...

Methi chicken |Methi Murgh | Punjabi Chicken curry with Fenugreek leaves

Sundays being non veg days mostly i end up in making chicken .

last sunday I made methi chicken  ie chicken with fresh methi (fenugreek leaves) & the taste was just ausome.Simple, yet delicious, Methi Murg is also easy to put together.

Its definitely a rich creamy & delicious dish which you can make  during special occasions.The fresh Methi (fenugreek) leaves add a lovely, earthy flavor to this dish. You can also use dried fenugreek if you don't have fresh leaves .

You can use methi leaves grown at your home pls check  here to find out how to grow methi at home

Methi Murg is served with plain rice, chapati ,roti and a salad.i adapted this recipe from sailus food.

 

 

before we proceed to recipe let me tell you about methi chicken .

 A legendary recipe from Punjab.This recipe is easy to cook and great in taste, as well as looks and texture.Chicken cooked with methi or fenugreek leaves, a signature North Indian dish that goes well with any Indian bread.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

 

 Chicken marination
250gm boneless chicken, washed and cut into medium sized pieces
Red chilly powder 2tsp
Coriander powder1tsp
 Garam masala powder 1/2tsp
 Turmeric powder 1/8tsp
 Ginger&garlic paste 11/2tsp
 Yogurt/dahi 2tsp
  Salt 1tsp

 Other ingredients
1 cup packed fresh methi leaves, add little salt+water, keep aside for 15 mts and squeeze out water
2 medium onions, sliced,

1 tsp green chilli paste (2-3 green chillis)

 

3/4 tbsp ginger garlic paste

  

2 tomato, pureed

  

1/4 cup yogurt/curd

  

large pinch turmeric pwd

  

1 tsp red chilli pwd

  

1 tsp coriander pwd

  

1/2 tsp cumin pwd

  

garam masala powder

  

salt to taste

  

7-8 cashewnuts, soak in warm water

  

2 tbsps oil

 

 

  

Method:

 

1.Clean and cut the chicken to bite size pieces and marinate with the ingredients given for marination.Mix it well and refrigerate for an hour or more.

 

2. Heat oil in kadhai add the onions. Sauté till the onions begin to turn a pale golden brown in color. Now remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Turn off heat.

 Grind the onions into a smooth paste  along with soaked cashew &  curd (yogurt) in a food processor. Once done, remove into a separate container.

 

 

3.Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadhai,add ginger garlic paste and green chilli paste and saute for 3-4 mts. Add turmeric pwd, red chilli pwd, cumin pwd and coriander pwd and combine.





4 Add the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes. Add the onion-curd cashew paste and cook for another 3 mts. add the methi leaves and saute for 7-8 mts



 5 Add the chicken pieces and combine well. Cook on medium high flame for 3-4 mts. Reduce flame, place lid and let the chicken cook till three fourth done.

 

 6 lastly add garam masala  and  combine well. Add few tbsps of water to adjust the consitency of curry. Cook covered till the chicken turns soft and you get the gravy consistency of your choice. It should be a thick creamy gravy.

 

 

 7 Turn off heat and serve hot with white rice, biryani, flavored rice or rotis.

 

Medicinal use of methi

•  Methi leaves has a cooling effect on the body, as it contains lot of fibre, it is known to ease out constipation.
• Methi is reach in Iron, vitamin C and K.
• Consumption of fenugreek leaves restores excellent digestion abilities.
• Methi leaves also lower type-1 and type-2 diabetes.
•  It lowers serum cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein. 

  

 

Matar kachori chaat recipe |GREEN PEAS KACHORI CHAT RECIPE

Khasta actually means "flaky" and this flaky kachori is filled with a delectable moong dal mixture and deep fried. Remember to fry the kachori on a very slow flame so that the crust is crisp and gets cooked on the inside.




A perfect kachori is one that is puffed up and flaky outside but hollow inside. This dish can be stored in air-tight containers for upto a week.

 When unexpected guests arrive, warm up the kachoris in a slow oven for about 7 to 10 minutes, fill them with curds and chutneys and serve..

Like most chaats, Kachori chaat combines a variety of textures and tastes, balancing sweetness with spice and tang.

Kachoris can be served plain, with a variety of chutneys, with chole, or with boiled aloo. Serve them as a chat, pouring plain yogurt and chutney on top.

For matar khasta kachori recipe pls click here .

 

 

Ingredients :

 6-8  matar khasta kachoris
 2 cups beaten curds (dahi)
 Green chutney /pudina kothmir chutney
 Khajur Imli ki Chutney red chilli garlic chutney
 Chilli powder
 Roasted cumin seeds (jeera) powder
Chopped coriander (dhania)
 Yellow Sev /shev

 

Method:

1.Place a  matar Khasta kachori on a plate, make a hole in the centre of it.




2.Spoon 2 tbsps of yogurt into the kachori.



3.Add a tbsp of green chutney and a tbsp of khajur imli chutney.

4.Sprinkle pinch of chilli pwd, cumin pwd, chopped onions and a tbsp of chopped coriander on the top of the kachori.



5.Finally garnish  with sev and serve immediately.

 

Tips
  1.  The kachoris can also be eaten without the curd topping. Just serve them with khajur imli ki chutney.
   2. Remember to fry the kachori on a very slow flame so that the crust is crisp and gets cooked on the inside. A perfect kachori is one that is puffed up and flaky outside but hollow inside.
    3. You can add boiled potatoes & sprinkle chat masala on top of kachori chat

Paticha pandhra kanda koshimbir |White spring Onion salad |safed pyaj kachumber

 A PERFECT ACCOMPANIMENT WITH NON VEG DISHES LIKE:


 MALVANI CHICKEN CURRY /MALVANI KOMBDI VADA

 PALAK CHICKEN

CHETTINAD CHICKEN,

SKP CHICKEN CURRY

CHICKEN VINDALOO 

KADHAI CHICKEN

KASHMIRI CHICKEN ROGAN JOSH

HYDERABADI CHICKEN BIRYANI

It can be eaten as a salad with various types of kabab. Very simple & quick 5 minute recipe without gas .

Todays salad is made using Pandhara kanda .pandhara means white & kanda means onions

 

Ingredients :

2 white onions/pandhra kanda /safed pyaj (sliced finely)

 1-2  chillies (chopped finely- adjust the number of chillies depending on your spice level)

 2 tsp finely chopped corinader leaves (kothimbir)

 1 tsp chat masala

 2 tsp lime juice

 1 tsp red chilli powder

 Salt to taste

 

Method:

1.Slice onions finely add salt & all above ingredients & refrigerate

 2. At the time of serving mix all ingredients with spoon or hand & serve chill.

 

Tip
Mix the ingredients only at the time of  serving otherwise it will become watery ,ie you can add the ingredients & cool it in fridge but the mixing of spices with onion needs to be doen only at the time of serving


HEALTH BENEFITS OF WHITE ONION
 
Onions come in all shapes and varieties. Red onions, brown and green are quite popular but have a very strong, pungent taste. The white onion is often desired for its milder and sweeter taste. Nonetheless, it's packed with health-boosting compounds

 Most health professionals recommend eating raw onions for maximum benefit

 

1. White onions contain compounds called flavonoids, which are known for anti-oxidant activity. Anti-oxidants protect the body from damage caused by destructive free radical cells. One of the most powerful flavonoids in an onion is called quercetin. A study done in China and reported in Drug Metabolism and Disposition reports that quercetin can stop the growth of cells of various cancers, such as lung cancer and stomach cancer. This is a great reason to put a slice of white onion on a sandwich
2. As with garlic, onions help prevent thrombosis and reduce hypertension, according to the American H eart Association. The juice of one yellow or white onion a day can raise HDL cholesterol (the good stuff) by 30% over time,
3. Organosulfur compounds are also very potent anti-oxidants. In a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives, these compounds were shown to slow the growth of cancer cells--as quercetin does--and help prevent the onset of cancer. The National Onion Association also reports that these organosuflur compounds help fight inflammation that is related to arthritis and asthma, and reduce diabetes symptoms. They are also the reason that onions smell and make you cry.
4. One cup of raw, white onion also contains 24mcg of chromium, needed to help regulate blood sugar, 10mg of vitamin C, another powerful antioxidant, and almost 3gm of fiber, which is more than 10 percent of the recommended daily allowance. Manganese, copper, potassium, vitamin B6, folate and phosphorous help round out the health benefits packed into this powerful plant
5. Sweet onions are a member of the 500-plus allium family. While garlic, another allium, has been highly touted as a cancer preventative, most people consume far greater quantities
6.  In addition to tasting great, onions contain 25 active compounds that appear to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells, help combat heart disease, inhibit strokes, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and stimulate the immune system. Alliums are also antibacterial and antifungal, so they can help ward off colds and relieve stomach upset and other gastrointestinal disorders